Mary

I would like to address a question posed by a young bright teenage girl from our parish who was concerned about the secret messages given by Our Blessed Mother. One must be careful about what one reads and believes. There is so much confusion concerning secret messages that can lead to fear and worry. I read recently that a secret message is that Mary is God. This is absolutely false and erroneous. Mary is the Mother of the Son of God and our Spiritual Mother as well. We honor Mary and we worhsip God. Mary is the first and model disciple of Jesus. The messages themselves from authentic apparitions of Mary have a consistent message of the need for prayer, conversion, repentance, the centrality of the Mass and frequent reception of Holy Communion. We are invited to pray the Rosary allowing us to reflect upon significant events in the life Jesus. The invitation to pray the Rosary has also the intention of promoting world peace and the conversion of the human heart. The messages of Mary are not meant to evoke fear, but faith in Jesus Christ Our Savior and Lord. Let us imitate Mary who was obedient to God's Word and faithful in God's service. Fr. Dennis

The Lenten Series that begins this Tuesday evening at 7:15 in the church is entitled 'Lent a Call to Coversion. The Sunday Scriptures Readings will be our source for reflection during the Lenten weeks ahead. This Tuesday will be an overview of Lent. The length of these Tuesday reflections will be for approximately 30 minutes something managable in the evening.

Emulating Jesus

In today's Gospel Jesus challenges each us to take up the suffering of the cross and to follow him. Jesus calls us to a commitment of our entire selves to him. This fundamental and basic commitment then colors all subsequent choices that we make in life. The investment of our lives in following Christ will mean embracing the cross of suffering in order that we might come to eternal life. We are called to turn away from Individualism which says 'what's in it for me; from Hedonism which says 'if it feels good it's ok (the pleasure principle) and Minimalism which says 'what is the least that i can do just to get by?' Jesus' life was one of total service to others; one of self-denial and self-emptying, one of giving everything he had. Let us follow his example. Comments are most welcomed.

God Bless You

Fr Dennis

Hope and Tender Mercy

Today is a window of sunshine and blue sky couched between storms. The other day a 2nd grade boy came to tell me with excitement how he had seen a rainbow this past Monday. Rainbows arched in the sky are beautiful, reminding us perhaps of the pot of gold at the end of them. Noah saw a rainbow in the sky after he and his family survived a devastating flood that covered the earth. God, the master artist, paints the sky with rainbows to remind us of His mercy and that God is our hope. In these difficult times God invites us to turn to Him and to place our trust and hope in Him for He will never abandon us, but is always with us. As rain gives way to blue sky and sunshine arched with rainbows so suffering and death give way to glory and new life sealed in the blood of Jesus Christ. How have you experienced the rainbows of God's tender mercy and hope in your life today? The signs are there if we only stop to look and see. Please share how you have found God in the midst of adversity, by so doing you are inspiring others to be hopeful.

Fr Dennis

Good Relationships Make for a Good Life

As we move through the summer months with more quality time opportunities with family and friends we are reminded that life is relational and God is family. Conscious of not being consumed in consumerism nor possessed by our possessions we are invited to realize that it is good, loving relationships that make for a healthy and happy life. All of us are called to cultivate and deepen the garden of our own interior lives through prayer, Eucharist, and humble service to others. Our first and foremost relationship with Christ connects to the importance of forming good loving relationships with people making for the way we treat people is the way we treat Christ. To show our gratitude and appreciation for those we live with and work with brings us home to the awareness that all is gift from God and we are all in the family of God. AG may stand for silver, but Appreciation and Gratitude are on God's gold standard. By showing our gratitude to God and our appreciation for people in our lives, our good relationships make for a good life.

Fr. Dennis

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